Public Liability Insurance Claims

How to Manage A Public Liability Claim

1. Make the scene safe and tend to anyone injured. Call emergency services where needed.
2. Photograph the scene. The hazard, the location, the conditions, and any signage. Same-day photographs are far more valuable than later reconstruction.
3. Take witness details. Names, contact details, what they saw.
4. Complete an internal incident report. Time, date, conditions, action taken.
5. Notify your insurer immediately. Public liability policies require prompt notification, often 24 to 48 hours.
6. Do not admit liability. An admission, even informally, can prejudice the claim.
7. Engage a loss assessor. The loss adjuster for public liability works for the insurer’s interests, which may diverge from yours, particularly on coverage points.
8. Coordinate with your solicitor where the matter goes legal. A loss assessor and a solicitor are complementary roles.
9. Track the claim through the insurer’s process. PIAB submission, settlement negotiation, court if it gets that far.
10. Address any remedial action on the premises to prevent repeat.

Remember, public liability claims are decided on the evidence as captured at the time. Same-day documentation is essential.

What is considered a public liability insurance claim?

A public liability claim arises when a third party (a customer, visitor, member of the public) is injured or has property damaged on your premises or as a consequence of your business activities, and seeks compensation. The cover responds where the business is legally liable.

Common public liability claim scenarios

• Slip, trip and fall incidents on premises
• Falling objects in retail or hospitality settings
• Food poisoning or allergen incidents
• Damage to a customer’s property or vehicle
• Injuries on rented or borrowed equipment
• Incidents involving subcontractors
• Carpark and traffic incidents on premises
• Injuries on rural premises (open farms, pet farms, equestrian businesses)

Does insurance cover public liability claims?

Most commercial policies include public liability cover, but the conditions matter:

• Notification time limits. Late notification can void cover.
• Limits of indemnity. The policy cap on any single claim.
• Excess. The first portion the business pays.
• Excluded activities. Some activities are outside the standard cover.
• Risk-management conditions. Some policies require documented risk assessments and procedures.

How N.J. Carroll & Associates Can Help

We are one of Ireland’s most experienced loss-assessing firms, established 1988, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Public liability is the area where loss assessors and solicitors most often work in tandem; we coordinate with your legal team rather than replace it. We act as the business’s representative on the insurance side, take the stress and worry off your hands, and ensure the policy responds properly. We are wholly independent and committed to your interests alone.

Our standard fee is 8% plus VAT of the recovery (where applicable), on a no-win, no-fee basis. The initial consultation is free.

If your business is facing a public liability claim, please do not hesitate to contact us today. For related commercial claims, see business interruption claims, commercial claims, and stock damage claims. Reach the local team at loss assessors Dublin.

N.J. Carroll & Associates Ltd are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Our Financial Regulator Certificate number is C41330. Niall Carroll is a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. We are also a member of the Irish Claims Consultants Association.

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